Contest winners’ dream realized

The runners-up of last year’s Build Bartlesville competition are busy making their dreams a reality.

The runners-up of last year’s Build Bartlesville competition are busy making their dreams a reality.

Owners of Heartland Roasters, a specialty coffee roasting company and the second place winner of the 2013 Build Bartlesville competition, are in the process of renovating their new storefront to be located at 200 E. 4th Street — the former home of the Brilliant Bronze gas station and Osage Checker Yellow Cab Company. The company is owned by friends Wesley Lantrip, Michael Young and Tony Phillips and distributes high-end gourmet coffee to independent restaurants and coffee shops.

According to Lantrip, the crew plans to open in late February or early March.

Heartland Roasters is unique to other coffeehouses in that it is not a retail shop, Lantrip explained.

"The shop will be a wholesale coffee roastery with a receiving and sampling area for clients, website customers and visitors who are interested in learning about coffee," he said. "We intend to have open houses for customers to see our roasting activities and to provide education about specialty (also known as gourmet) coffee, but we will not be a traditional coffeehouse or retail shop at first … People can’t show up and buy a cup of coffee from us, they will have to go to our retail customers in town for that."

Lantrip said that the company may choose to go the retail route "if business trends lead us in that direction."

Coffee sold at Heartland Roasters is also unique to the area.

"We create custom blends that set our clients apart from the competition," said Lantrip.

Coffee blends are roasted locally on a ranch in Bartlesville. Lantrip explained that the company roasts in small batches to-order only. Bags are stamped with "roasted on" dates to ensure freshness, and old inventory is never held, he said.

Customers can also place orders on the company’s website. When the storefront opens, Lantrip said customers can pick up online orders during operating hours.

The company uses a vintage 1985 Probat GN-12 production roaster with a double-wall cast iron drum and two rows of burners. The 25-pound batch roaster is one of less than five known in the United States — what Lantrip calls the "Mercedes of coffee roasters."

"The GN series is very hard to find … and we are proud to own such a rare machine that produces excellent, consistent roasts," he said.

With the funds from last year’s Build Bartlesville competition — totalling $4,500 — Lantrip said the company purchased a U.S. Roaster Corp sample roaster, manufactured in Oklahoma City.

"We use the sample roaster to evaluate green, unroasted coffees for purchase and for experimenting with new blends or coffee roast profiles," he said.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.heartlandroasters.com.